Anchoring in the Columbia

[NorthRiverS]

GutZ,
You might consider practicing in the Columbia before the crowds show up. It's not really tough, because the current and depth isnt too bad.(Unless you are near Bonneville Dam) I would just suggest to take your time, have all equipment ready, wear a life jacket, and go for it.
NS

[Tacklebuster]

We have an anchoring expert here on Ifish, he goes by Catch and Eat. Send him a PM and I'm sure he will send you a step by step instruction to get you in the right direction. I can vouch for him because I have seen it up close and personal :shocked: :grin:

Bernie [img]graemlins/hearton.gif[/img]

[monoman]

Buy the video! Amato's new anchor video should answer all questions.

Both stars are Ifish members.

[jokester]

We have an anchoring expert here on Ifish, he goes by Catch and Eat. Send him a PM and I'm sure he will send you a step by step instruction to get you in the right direction. I can vouch for him because I have seen it up close and personal. :shocked: :grin:

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">I think we heard those stories about Bernie and his proficient anchoring skills last year during the fall chinook run!! :grin:

- jokester

[Silver Hilton]

Well, I oughta be able to handle the "Anchoring By Dummies" part pretty well.

1) Have a good anchor. Opinions vary as to whether anchors other than a rocking chair style will work.

2) Sufficient rope and float. In the lower river 150 feet is enough, I use 200 feet. Anchor puller is optional, though I just figure thats what you call the guy in the passenger seat. :smile:

3) Sea anchors - 2. With a fiberglas boat, you may not need them as much. Flat bottomed boats sway badly in the wind without them.

Anchoring.

1) Find your spot. If a line is already there, motor up from below slowly, through the spot you intend to inhabit. Wave at your new neighbors. If they brandish firearms, consider anchoring further away.

2) As you motor by the spot you want, pick out a mark upstream, and motor upstream towards that spot. Before you drop your anchor, glance over your shoulder at the other boats' anchor lines (if there are any) and confirm that their angle makes sense with how you're planning on dropping. You want to do this because in a few places there are side currents that you have to take into account, or you may have just done a crappy job of marking your point.

3) When you get 100-150 feet up from the boats below, kill your speed, and drop the anchor, keeping control of the rope. When you feel the anchor hit, get hold of the rope, and wait for the boat to start pulling the rope out as it drifts downstream. It's the anchor boy's job to keep the rope taught enough that it can't drift around to the prop.

4) Steer the bow slightly away from the line below you (15 degrees maybe) and drift back, letting the boat pull the rope. By keeping the rope under tension, you are keeping it out of your prop, which, as Martha used to say, is a good thing.

5) When you get close to the line, slow your speed with the motor. Drop into place, tie off, and put out the wind socks. Catch fish, untie rope, drift out, net fish, return to pick up rope. Watch out for sea anchors when doing this. Repeat 3 times for each occupant of the boat.

6) if you have an anchor puller, at the end of the day, I just leave the boat tied up, fire up the engine, and motor off at about a 10 degree angle. When the anchor is up, tow it either upstream or out in the channel far enough so you don't drift into boats below you when retrieving the rope. If your anchor retrietval is the manual variety, motor slowly upstream as your anchor bim hauls in the rope, until the anchor breaks free, and then put the boat in netral as he gets the last few feet up.

Easy.

[GutZ]

Thank You Silver Hilton!
See you out there soon!

[LQQKASTAR]

i got a question too.
i bought a complete anchor system, it came with 300'0f rope with a 50' tag line, buoy and anchor puller, i used it alot below boniville, it worked great, now im fishing the willie and dont need all that rope,is there a special knot i can use to store about 200' rope right were the tag line connects?.. what ive been doing is just tying it off where i need it, leaving the rest in the bucket but by doing this i cant just come off anchor or i would have all this rope in the water

[The Overfishin Condition]

Star, do a search on the extra rope issue. I use a mesh laundry bag that works perfect, I just put it inside the bucket, cinch it up, and have a hook that I clip on the main line. Then when I'm ready, I just untie and toss the bag. Other use bungees around the rope I think. Just search the archives, if you can't find it, I'll give more details on my way later. TOC.

[Blue Tip Spinner]

lqqkastar- get yourself a mesh bag that they sell at fisherman's and stuff the excess rope in the bag and attach your floating line and bouy to that.

[Pitch Pocket]

Look up the bowline on a bight. It's a good knot for making a loop in the middle of a line. You can untie it without a knife after it's been under pressure all day.

http://www.iland.net/~jbritton/bowlineonabight.htm

[LQQKASTAR]

thanks guys..
bluetip, you actuly tie the bag on the bouy? or ?

[Get Bent]

STAY AWAY FROM THE DAM ITS MINE ALL MINE [img]graemlins/eek13.gif[/img]

[wannacatchem]

LQQKASTER,

what I did was cut a small hole in the bottom of the mesh bag, run the end of the rope thru it and tied on the float. That way, when I throw the rope, I dodn't worry about losing the bag. After I get the anchor line out, I put a couple half hitches on the rope with the bag drawstring, when I throw the rope, it doesn't all come out of the bag. Hope it all makes sense....

[dampainter]

how bout anchoring a small open, bench style 14 foot deep vee....anyone else have one and anchor in fairly fast water? how bout using the boat for pulling up anchor? from the bow or (stern ...which I know is a no no) I get a bad image in my head so I really don`t do it but not that I don`t want to I just don`t have the know how. thoughts??

[k9jeff]

I think we should re-name the dam :grin:

I have 300' of rope. I use a mesh laundry bag to store the extra rope I am not using while in shallow water. I coil the rope, bungee cord it to keep it neat, stuff it in a $3.00 walmart mesh laundry bag and shove a boat bumper in it to keep it floating for easy pickup when I break away. It works great. Dont forget to close the sack.

Originally posted by Get Bent Tackle:
STAY AWAY FROM THE DAM ITS MINE ALL MINE [img]graemlins/eek13.gif[/img]

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">[img]graemlins/eek13.gif[/img] to [img]graemlins/eek13.gif[/img]

:grin:

[Tide Change]

I also got one of those quick release gadgets. (About 25 bucks). It's a ball and socket affair that is adjustable for different tensions. I got it after hearing horror stories of becoming a submarine in the event large debris gets too cozy with your anchor rope. A guide I talked to keeps a serrated knife handy. I think the quick release would be more reliable, and I bet my insurance guy would concur. You out there caddishouse / ripnlips?

[Waterfish]

Silver Hilton, a couple of questions: In your step #3, when you drop the anchor, do you let the boat drift back in the current while in neutral, or do you power back in reverse? Step #4; When you move the bow 15 degrees away from the anchor line, does this mean you are not drifting straight back from the anchor? What is the purpose of this technique?

[Silver Hilton]

Waterfish,

sure, you can power back a little bit, and I always do. But for someone trying for the first few times I think it's best to be patient until you see how the boat handles. If you roar back in reverse, particualrly with a prop boat, you could find yourself in a close encounter with the other boat's anchor line. Patience is better. I've seen a lot of guys in a rush or hotshotting it a little bit ending up in one of those snafu types of situations. No fun, and embarrassing to boot.

On the angling the nose, this assumes you are joining the end of a line, and aren't trying to split a gap. If you are drifting back this way and tighten up on the line, the current will tend to push you away from the boat below you that you are anchoring from. If something goes wrong and you need to motor back up, you are already pointed away from his boat and anchor rope. If you point straight up and have to motor, you risk running into your anchor line. It's just like a drift boat heading into a slot, you're positioning so the current will help you.

Sometimes you need to anchor under reverse power, such as when you are trying to get into place before the tide turns. Just be careful of slack rope getting near your props.

Also, watch the wind. Particularly for small boats, you can get blown sideways quite a bit on the drift. That has blown a few folks into me over the years. Never me into them, no sir...

Hope that helps.

[ 03-08-2004, 08:20 PM: Message edited by: Silver Hilton ]

[Beefcake]

Silver Hilton- What's with "3 times per occupant"? Did I miss a rule change and we get 3 springers each? Or is this 2 springers and a gator thinking?

[Silver Hilton]

Wild fish are running 40% of the run, so you each get one wild fish and two keepers. :smile:

[Mr. Carp]

I recommend powering back. If you happen to throw the anchor and you are still slightly drifting forward, the anchor will be behind you and you will have some problems on your hand. We always get it a good blast in reverse then let the current keep you moving. When you come to the end of the rope power forward to ease the stop.

Another tip: Always keep a knife (sharp)avaliable so you can cut a rope in a hurry.

Also, you don't need chain on your anchor line as some will tell you if you have a good anchor. Just an extra 30 pounds you don't need to haul around.

[Mr. Carp]

Hey what do you know, I broke 1000 posts and just noticed it.

[GutZ]

I have heard/read all the horror tails about anchoring in the Columbia. Being the anchor cracker that I am, I come here, hat in hand to seek advice.

We will be fishing from a 19' Campion for the first time this year. We think we have all the equipment, but seek a check list or an "Anchoring for Dummies" Guide.

Please help. I know this has been covered many times here, so if there is a particular link that you feel would help, please show me the light!

Thank You

[Hardware]

Great safety topic!

Been anchoring in voids in tight hoglines for 20+ years. Here's a couple more points that need mentioning:

1st and foremost.. Be patient. Don't dump that anchor unless you are positive you are dropping it in the right spot. Doesn't make any sense to get in a super big hurry. Take another fifteen seconds if you need to. Much better doing that than riding someone all day.

2nd. In the last few years as more people use anchor pullers, there have been quite a few dramatic wipe outs. I have been pulled upriver three times last year alone when people used them in tight spots that really didn't require them. So if you are in a tight spot that is fairly shallow and minimal current, might as well pull it by hand. (or pull it by hand till you are fairly above the other boats, then tie off the puller).

3rd. Be careful with reverse. This is another thing that lends itself to big wipe outs. Coming into a line "a little hot" tends to get things dented. If you use reverse, only use enough to keep the bow from whipping around as you also use only enough pressure on the rope to keep the line taught. Anymore and you could be dragging the anchor slightly. And in tight spots, a few feet makes a huge difference.

Everybody has there own system based on where they are anchoring, and the set up in their boat. Personally, since I anchor by myself a lot here's what I do.
-have anchor hanging off my bow tied up for quick drop.
-Be patient and drop it when I'm POSITIVE I'm on the spot.
-kick it in reverse for a second to get the boat moving, then back in neutral
-float back nice and quiet, and if the boat gets out of shape because of wind or a boil, i cut the boat around with the anchor rope (putting it off to one side of the bow)

Good luck, get out there and catch a fish!!!

[Lured In]

The best thing to do is practice. Try find a spot with a decent current in the 20-30 foot depth range and NO boats anywhere near you.

Pick a tree or landmark on the bank that you are going to use as your reference point for your pretend fishing spot. (I still do this on 'real' spots ) Make a note of the depth, this is the proof that you did it right.

Look up the bank and pick another mark about 40 yards up from the first one. This is the spot you are going line up with to send the anchor for a swim. The challenge here to interpreting what the current is doing and how it is going to effect your drift back. Motor ahead steadily as straight into the current as possible until you reach that spot. Verify your position to your second mark on the bank.

(In preparation for dropping the anchor you have two choices. Pull the line through the puller prior to dropping it, or simply open the clasp in the puller and let the line strip through.)

Follow SH's directions for dropping the anchor. Again make reference to your first mark on the beach. As you drift/back down current slow the boat with the throttle or the anchor rope BEFORE you get to your first reference point.

VERIFY that you are down HARD on the bottom when you are least 20-30 feet ABOVE your spot. This does two things. It ensures that you are not dragging anchor and enables you to come into your spot under full control. (This is especially important when entering the middle of a hogline.)

Finish the process and tie off. Then check your position relative to your first mark on the bank your depth to see where you ended up. The easy part is lining up with your mark on the beach. The hard part is ending up at the same depth. If you ended up shallower, you slid toward the bank as you motored forward. If you ended up deeper, the opposite is true.

With a little practice you will learn to read this and put yourself right on top of where you wanted to be. You will also notice what SH highlighted, the side currents may be 'pushing' you one way or the other. Knowing the currents in a given spot is often the key to anchoring in them.

Don't be afraid to go practice! It won't hurt anything and will build your confidence. Not to mention its great training for a new deckhand. :grin:

[dampainter]

so little boats can do this???

[Wreckless]

D.P. I fished out of a 14' MirroCraft for YEARS and it worked just fine..in moderate current, just be careful!!

[crabbait]

I am late to the party but a couple of other things:

Brief your 'crew" before you are ready to anchor. Make sure that you both know what to expect before you get into battle. Ensure you both understand what terms you will use and what they mean. It is a little late when you are yelling "Let her go!" and he keeps saying "Now?", "Yeah NOW!", "Let her go?" "Yes, Yes...er...NO, too late!", "I let her go, now. Pull her up?"

The "anchor dropper" must be wearing a PFD and needs to keep the bow of the boat in contact with the anchor. This means letting the line out slowly so that the boat can be stopped at any time with the anchor (as soon as enough line is out to hold). Whatever you do, anchor guy, do not just toss the anchor and the whole dern ball'o wax over the side and wait for something to start coming tight.

If the guys in the line below you start waving and pointing, they probably know something that you don't know. Best to stop the process right there until you all know what some of you know.

"Tie off" is a bit of a misnomer. This is not the time for your best double-overhand-single-backflip Monkey knot! I prefer to secure the line with a "clinch" cleat that grabs the rope with a groved Vee, then take the trailing end (with a smaller float attached) to the back of the boat where anyone can reach it in a hurry. All you need to do to come off the anchor is grab the line, give a quick yank, and toss the float and line out the front of the boat. Voila, you are underway at current speed.

Brief your crew that if they see a log or another boat or anything spooky drifting into you from upstream that they have your permission to cast off the anchor first and take a vote later! Stuff comes together much more slowly when they are all moving downstream together! This could save your butt and your boat.

If everybody is taking a nice nap or standing at the back of the boat gazing downstream nursing the 1000yd stare you are looking for trouble....or, rather, not looking for trouble and somebody needs to be! Keep your head on a swivel. What is coming at you from upstream is more important than what is going on with your rod tip. The guy just above you in the cabin cruiser with his head underwater trying to get what's left of his rope unwrapped from his prop may not be watching where he's going. Why watch, he has no control over it anyway?

Be careful, be safe, be alive.

[ 03-09-2004, 02:59 PM: Message edited by: crabbait ]

[Hardware]

Excellent additions Crabbait!

DP, yeah it's only in recent history that half the boats out there are over 20 foot long! It's just that much more important now to do what Crabbait was saying and keep your eyes open for trouble. Be ready to bail before there's some 30 foot sled on top of your anchor rope!

I probably wouldn't go out there in some car-topper type ultra low freeboard boat.

[WaterDog]

I did not see this mentioned but once the anchor hits the bottom, I loop the rope around my bow cleat and let the line pay out as it slips around it. When I want to set the anchor, I just hold the line tight and then the cleat holds the rope tight, not me. In faster current you or your anchor (female dog) could get pulled over the side when that anchor takes a hold.

Anchor your boat, not you.

[CATCH AND EAT]

Originally posted by Tacklebuster:
We have an anchoring expert here on Ifish, he goes by Catch and Eat. Send him a PM and I'm sure he will send you a step by step instruction to get you in the right direction. I can vouch for him because I have seen it up close and personal :shocked: :grin:

Bernie [img]graemlins/hearton.gif[/img]

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">Now why did I know someone was gonna post a dig at me on this thread?????? To funny.

[ 03-09-2004, 03:33 PM: Message edited by: CATCH AND EAT ]

[Silver Hilton]

One thing that came up this weekend is that my crew was not familiar with how to cast off. When I got the fish, Tom was a bit challenged in sorting through that drill. So, after you get to anchor and get the rods fishing, work through what the drill will be in casting off. What happens first, what happens next, where do the extra rods go, what motor do I start, and how.

[kayakfisher]

Casting off...it would seem prudent to put a float of some sort on the boat end of the line so when casting off you can find the float...and not have to go to the anchor and trace it back? Anyone doing this?

My anchor line does not float...but i suppose that is an option also.

So far I don't do hog lines.....

M.

[Silver Hilton]

Yeah, we do exactly that. That's the orange ball you see in the front of everybody's boat.

[crabbait]

and another float...about crab pot size...on the end of the line to make it easy to pick up when you return to your anchor spot.

[DAB]

I don't anchor in hog lines, so can't help you there. As far as what length of rope to use, I look at it this way, when Salmon fishing I use a 150 foot rope and a floating tag with float as I know that I wont be fishing in anything over 40 foot deep, Now for sturgeon I use 300 feet of rope and a floating tag line with float. With either set up the the mesh bag in the bucket
works well. I do use an anchor puller and bouy.
My $.02 worth.
DAB